The famous falls of Niagara are but a small part of a majestic escarpment spanning from Michigan to Vermont through Ontario.
In the U.S. and Canada, federal, state and provincial governments are continually faced with issues regarding development revenue and protecting public lands. Ebbing the tide of development and preserving public lands, especially in areas such as the Niagara escarpment in southern Ontario, that protect various species of wildlife and feature rare and majestic geological formations, requires mobilization and diligence. The wide plateau that surrounds the densely populated areas around Niagara Falls with rocky bluffs has been threatened over the years by various interests and protecting certain areas of the escarpment land has created an example of protect similar areas.
Instructions
1. Investigate the ownership history of the land. The first step in protecting public lands is to determine the exact government agency that holds jurisdictional oversight of the land. In the U.S., public lands may be owned by cities, counties, states and the federal government. In the case of the Niagara escarpment in Ontario, the land is owned by the province of Ontario. The Niagara Escarpment Committee was created in 1967 with the purpose of protecting the land as well as to oversee the sale of any portion of the land for development.
2. Appeal to a governmental agency for support by contacting the appropriate committee or representative. Individual appeals may go unheard, but a public outcry can be enough to influence a committee's decision or affect a representative's vote.
3. Assist other organizations. Many times an organization may already be in place, raising funds and gaining much-needed attention for a given issue. Protection of Escarpment Rural Land (PERL) proved successful in organizing and fundraising to protect the Niagara escarpment through their website, concerts, the sale of artwork and finally through petition and legal arguments.
4. Organize others. Whether supporting an existing organization or being the vanguard of a movement, bring others into the fold through education and motivation. New websites, tweets, newsletters, etc., help spread information and solicit support for public land protection. Many citizens would be otherwise unaware of public land sales and industrial development proposals but for the initial actions of a concerned environmentalist.
Tags: public lands, Niagara escarpment, Escarpment Rural, Escarpment Rural Land, protecting public, protecting public lands
